The Princess Sonia

"The Princess Sonia" by Julia Magruder is a story set in the late 1800s that follows Martha Keene, an American artist in Paris, and her strong feelings for Princess Sonia, a fellow painter. Martha is impressed by Sonia’s looks and her art skills. Their relationship unfolds in an art studio, but their different social statuses create challenges. Martha's struggle to understand her feelings, find her artistic voice, and overcome her feelings of being less important leads to questions about who she is and where she belongs. The novel explores friendship and admiration, as Martha and Sonia navigate a society marked by class differences and the pursuit of artistic dreams.